Summary: A military training film, partly dramatised dealing with the reconnaissance, identification and reporting of unexploded bombs.
Description: (Reel 1) L/S of town burning, actors protect themselves as bombs fall, aeroplanes overhead, whining of bombs. Dramatisation of an old woman found in bombed out house by ARP warden. She will not leave. The next morning the ARP warden returns to inspect damage and a bomb explodes. Appearances can be deceptive; how to check for traces of a blast ie. four garages are destroyed but nearby windows are intact as is the drainpipe thereby implying a UXB may be present. Armed forces, civil defence and police must know about this for accurate reconnaissance is necessary. The range of German HE bombs is examined in detail; the thin-cased SC bomb with cross- section diagram for destruction over a wide area of property; armour piercing or SD bomb which explodes on impact and targets battleships, power stations, factories and steel reinforced buildings also with cross-section diagram. A detailed description of each SC bomb by colour, size and weight. (Reel 2) How to identify a German bomb by parts found at sites eg. tail fins, tail drum, cone, kopf ring, carrying bands, lug. A detailed description of SD bombs by colour, size and weight. Bomb reconnaissance outlines size of crater, type of crater and surrounding damage made by particular types of bombs; diagram of bomb going underground and the dangers this presents ie. a build-up of carbon dioxide and possible explosion. (Reel 3) Will the bomb explode? A the section through the 50 kg bomb illustrates three stages of the fuze - gain, pick-up and charge. All German fuzes are electrical; diagrams and close-up of charge to explain workings of this. Four types of fuze - impact: instant; delay action: 250 kg and 500 kg bombs that can explode up to eighty hours after landing; booby trap: use of striker to detonate (with diagram); anti-handling: any vibration will set off reaction once it has landed. What must be done if a UXB is found? All buildings must be cleared within thirty yards; all rooms facing the bomb must be cleared within one hundred yards; outer doors and windows must be opened and the area should be roped off. Diagrams and maps explain this in more detail. Prioritising areas - A, B, C, D eg. A = industrialised area of munitions, factories, goods, gas works and power stations. (Reel 4) Models of areas with UXB and procedure to prevent damage; UX parachute mines; anti-personnel bombs; diagrammatic breakdown of incendiary bomb container (holds thirty-six bombs); Molotov pantry (ten foot long holds seven hundred incendiaries), flash book, German flare casing (parachute plus one to four candles), UX ack-ack shells, aeroplane cannon shells and bomb with board and ring and piano wire. Procedure of reporting an UXB. (Reel 5) Documentary of munitions factories, underground station on the Northern line, commuters; German film of bombers taking off for England; flashes on screen, London burning and clearing up the mess. Civil defence's role in conjunction with the army in dealing with UXB - the chain of reporting in diagrammatic form; who to report to, forms etc; dramatisation of events from the bomb landing , evacuation of the area, reporting the UXB, bomb reconnaissance and eventual defusing. (Reel 6) Dramatisation of priority "A" UXB threatening P.O. cables and the measures taken to evacuate the area to make the bomb safe; an UXB in the back garden - the ARP warden thinks it is a large bomb, closer inspection reveals it is not - the need to reconnoitre carefully is constantly emphasised to avoid wasting resources and time; a priority "A" UXB is found at a shunting yard where the usual procedure is followed although the bomb disposal officer realises that normal activities may be partly resumed while the bomb is deactivated. Final reiteration of reconnaissance, reporting, prioritising and categorising before action.